My goal is to have hot coffee ready for me in the morning without much effort or mess, this machine couldn't deliver any of that.

Positive Product Points

The coffee maker is great looking. The automatic setting were easy to set and has a nice looking clock on the machine.

Negative Product Points

Water isn't hot enough, carafe is awkard to pour from, can spill coffee if not positioned correctly.

Detailed Commentary

While looking for a new coffee maker, I wanted one that my wife thought looked good with our stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. The Mr. Coffee IS series had a very nice look with a retro feel to it. I couldn't find any real reviews for before purchasing, but really liked the way it looked. I've used Mr. Coffee makers in the past, and although they aren't fancy, they always got the job done.

The machine was easy to set for delayed brewing and has a cool quartz or LED clock on the front. After brewing it tells how long the coffee has been in the carafe after brewing. This isn't really useful for me, since I'm finished reading the paper and drinking coffee within an hour of brewing.

With the very first cup of coffee I had, I realized the coffee wasn't hot enough for me. It would be a stretch to say the even the first cup was "hot"; more like really warm. You also have to push a button on the carafe handle to pour the coffee out. This seems like a okay idea until you start trying to push the button and tilt the carafe to pour coffee. I feel like I'm getting carpal tunnel from pouring cups of coffee. The carafe also has to be position correctly under the machine during brewing or coffee spills out.

Also, the water filter has to be lifted out and replaced everytime you clean or add coffee grounds and filling the tank with water can cause a mess also, if you get too much in a hurry.

I've very dissatisfied with the Mr. Coffee IS Series. I'm now in the market for another coffee maker and it won't be a Mr. Coffee brand.

Buying Experience

The machine was priced around $62.00 which I thought was reasonable for a machine to make coffee without much else. I didn't like the machine and couldn't find a place to ask about the lack of heat of the coffee.